Perfume vending machine



y 4, 1933- s. SCHIANO 1,916,992

PERFUME VENDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H' will)Salvazare .Scbz'ano BY K July 4, 1933. s. SCHIANO PERFUME VENDINGMACHINE Filed Dec. 14. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VE N TO R Salvatore.S'cbmno B Y 5A AT 0 R N E Y Patented July 4, 1933 SALVATORE SCHIANO, OFBROOKLYN, NEW YORK PERFUME VENDING MACHINE Application filed. December14, 1931. Serial No. 580,898.

' locking means controlling the operation of the dispensing mechanism,whereby retraction of the mechanism after partial operation thereof isprevented, and the purchaser cannot cheat himself by dispensing lessthan the full value for the deposited coin.

The various objects of my invention will be clear from the descriptionwhich follows, and from the drawings, in which, v

Fig. 1 is a front view of my improved machine, the door being shownremoved to eX- pose the interior mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the side of the casing havingbeen removed to show the interior structure.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar. to Fig. 2, and partial verticalsection, showing in dotted lines, the positions assumed by certain ofthe releasable locking parts when a coin has been deposited in the coinchute.

Fig. -1 is a similar view of the mechanism operative to divert andreturn the coin when the dispenser has been practically emptied, showingthe parts in coin-returning position, and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the machine showing particularly, thecasing therefor.

In that practical embodiment of my invention which I have illustrated byway of example, the casing is preferably formed of sheet metal, and isprovided at the front thereof with a suitable door 11. Said door may behinged or otherwise secured to the casing at one edge or end, and may beprovided with a suitable lock (not shown) ina manner well known in theart and hence which need not be shown nor described.

A suitable coin-receiving slot is made in the front or door 11, andcovered by a slotted coin plate 12 communicating with the coin chute 13,for the deposit of coins of the proper denomination. A slot or openingas 14 is also made in the door 11 through which is passed the nozzle 15of the atomizer 16, the opening being preferably elongated vertically topermit the movement therein of the vertically movable atomizer nozzle.To protect the opening 14, a suitable plate as 17 is carried by saidnozzle and is movable therewith. Near the bottom of the door is providedthe coin-return opening 18 communicating with the coin-return chute 19.A suitable mirror as 20 is mounted in the door, as well as a transparentpanel 21 so that the purchaser may view the perfume bottle 22, andthereby be apprised when the bottle is empty. It will be understood thatpart of the glass panel 21 may be provided with indicia such asadvertising matter, or matter informing the purchaser of the type ofperfume used, or that a. suitable label or advertisement may be attachedto the bottle itself and viewed through the panel 21.

Means are provided for diverting the coin inserted into the coin chute13, away from the locking mechanism later to be described, when thecontainer 22 is empty. Said means comprises the support, platform ortray 23, one of the upright walls at of which is comparatively high toprovide supporting means for part of the coin-diverting mechanism.

Extending downwardly from the bottom of the tray are the projections 25,which rest on a series of compression springs 26. Said springs are inturn supported in the flanged hollow casing 27, the flanges 28 of whichare supported by the frame 30. It will be understood that the springs 26are made of such strength, that they are compressed when the filledperfume container 22 rests on the tray, but are operative to raise thetray as the contai'ner is emptied and the weight of the perfume to bedispensed is decreased. The tray is guided in its vertical movementunder the change in weight of the dispensed or supplied perfume by guiderods 7 8 passing through the perforated lugs 79 extending from the tray.

. Supported by the wall 24, is the rod 31 for operating thecoin-diverting shutter or plate 32. Said shutter is pivotally mounted onthe shaft 83, which rests in suitable bearings 34,

extending from the coin chute 13, and is arranged just above theintersection of the coin-return chute 36 and the coin-retaining chute 37Said shutter is arranged adjacent to, and serves to close the opening 38in the right side wall (Fig. 3) of the chute 13, and is adapted to beswung into the chute 13 at the proper time to close the entrance to thechute 37, whereby a coin falling through the coin-receiving chute 13 isdiverted by the shutter 32 into the coin-return chute 36.

To so swing said shutter when the container 22 is empty or nearly empty,the rod 31 is adapted to moverelativelyv tothe wall 24 and the platform,being slidably supported on said wall by suitable perforated lugs 29 and40. The lower part of said rod 31 is threaded to receive'the upperadjustable stop nuts 41 and the lower adjustable nuts 42. Arranged inthe path of, and between said nuts 41 and 42, is the arm 43 which issecured to and projects from the shutter shaft 33.

The uppermost position of the rod 31 is determined by the lower nuts 42,the upward movement of which is limited by the stationary stop plate 44.

lVhen the container 22 is full or of maximum weight, the rod 31 is inits highest position, and the tray or platform 23'is in its lowermostposition, because of the weight of the filled container 22. The meansfor moving the rod 31 in a direction opposite to that in which theplatform moves as the perfume is dispensed comprises the toggle joint45, the links of which terminate in the guide members 46, which are inturn spring-pressed by the springs 47 in the spring casing or guides 48in the proper direction to close the links together. Said toggle jointis in turn connected to: the rod 31 as by means of a suitable sleeve 50and a pivot pin 49 passing through the sleeve and the links.

It will be seen that when the pivot 49 is above the axes of the springs,said springs tend to operate the toggle joint in such a direction as toraise the rod 31 into its highest position, wherein the stop nuts 42engage the stop 44. However, as the perfume in the container 22 isdispensed, said container with its contents become lighter, enabling thesprings 26 to raise the supporting platform and the container. As theplatform and thereby, the wall 24 are raised, the outer ends of thetoggle links are also raised, thereby i lowering tne pivot 49 relativelyto the springs 47. \Vhen the container is empty, the pin 49 reaches aposition just below the horizontal line passing through the axes of thesprings 47, whereby said springs become effective to operate the togglejoint 45 to carry the pin 49 downwardly and thereby to lower the rod 31.to cause the nuts 41 thereon to engage the arm 43 and thereby to swingthe shutter shaft 33 in the proper direction to insert the shut ter 32into the chute 13 and into a position wherein it obstructs the entranceto the chute 37.

A coin tending to enter the chute 37 is thereby diverted into thecoin-return chute 36 (Fig. 4).

It will be seen, therefore, that when the container 22 is empty orsubstantially empty of vendable material such as perfume, the coincannot enter the chute 37 but is automatically diverted into the chute36, and thence into the coin-return chute 19, from which the coin passesthrough the opening 18 of the door and is returned to the purchaser. V

In order to save the purchaser the useless effort of inserting the coininto the coin chute when the container is practically empty, I prefer toprovide indicia, preferably carried by the rod 31, for informing thepurchaser that the container is empty, so that no per fume (an bedispensed by the machine. For this purpose, the rod 31 carries the arm51 on which the word Empty or similar suitable indicia is shown. Itbeing understood that in the uppermost position of the rod 31, thecontainer is full, the arm 51 is arranged above'the panel 21 and istherefore concealed when there is suflicient perfume in'the container tobe dispensed (Fig. 5). WVhen, however, the container is substantial lyempty, and the shutter 32 has been operated to divert and return coins,then the rod 31 is urged into its lowermost position by the toggle 45,carrying with it the arm 51, and thereby lowering'the empty sign intoposition behind the transparent panel 21, whereby said sign becomesvisible to the purchaser.

1 At the upper or entrance end of the chute 13, means are provided fordiverting and returning coins of too small a denomination. or too smallto operate the locking means for the dispensing mechanism. As shown inFig. 3, said means consists of an opening 52, at the upper end of thelower wall of the chute 13, said opening being of insufiicient width topermit the passage of coins of the proper denomination but of suiiicientwidth to receive smaller coins, which drop therethrough into thecoin-discharge chute 53 and thence into the coin-return chute 19. Thelength of the 1 opening 52 is sufficient to insure that the smallercoins drop into the chute 53.

The coin-controlled dispensing mechanism for dispensing perfume from thecontainer 22 will now be described.

Said mechanism comprises the bellows 54 having a movable upper member55, and connected as by means of the pipes 56 and 57 to the atomizer 16,the pipe 57 being flexible to compensate for the movement of thecontainer and being inserted into the container 22 in the usual manner.For collapsing the bellows and thereby to discharge a spray of perfumethrough the atomizer nozzle 15, the shaft 60 carries the arm 61, whichon the rotation of the shaft in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 3),engages the wear plate 58 on the upper wall of the bellows andcompresses the bellows the required amount to inject a stream of airunder the desired pressure into the atomizer and thereby to dischargetheatomized spray of perfume.

The shaft 60 is normally urged toward its initial position by means ofthe coin spring 62 wound thereabout and secured at one end to the pin 63and at its other end, to the bearing ea for said shaft. In said initialposition, the arm 61 engages the top of the stop yoke 65 secured to theupper wall of the bellows, whereby said upper wall is brought back toits initial position on the return movement of the shaft 60 under theinfluence of its spring 62.

Means are provided for operating the shaft 60 through a predeterminedangle of rotation, sufficient to vend the desired amount of perfume. Asuitable crank as 66 passing through an opening in the side wall of thecasing 10 is secured to the end of the shaft 60, whereby the purchasermay rotate said shaft, when the shaft is released by the coincontrolledlocking means therefor. Said locking means includes the supportingmember 67 for the locking lever, mounted near the left end of the shaft60 as viewed in Fig. 1, and provided with a slot as 63, between the sidewalls of which is pivotally mounted the coin-actuated locking lever 69,as by means of the pin 70. A suitable set screw as 77 serves to maintainthe member 67 in its proper position on the shaft. The locking lever 69is weighted at its right end 72 by the pawl tooth 7 3, and is therebymaintained normally with the left end 71 raised and the other endlowered. he end 71 of the lever passes into the operating coin chute 37through a slot therein, while the other end 72 of said lever terminatesin the pawl tooth 73, which extends laterally and horizontallytherefrom,

and is provided with suitably shaped rackengaging edges. The pawl toothis thereby normally arranged adjacent the lower ratchet rack 76, wherebyattempted operation of the crank 66 before the locking lever is releasedby a coin, is prevented by the engagement of the pawl tooth 73 with theupright edges of the teeth of the ratchet rack 76.

It vill be understood that the parts being in their initial positionsshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, wherein the shutter 33 under the in-- fluenceof its weight 84: opens the entrance to the chute 37, and, when theresufficient material in the machine to be dispensed, a coin droppingthrough the chute l3 strikes the intersection 35 a the point ofbifurcation of the chute 13, and is directed into the coin-retainingchute 37. The coin falls down the chute 37 on to the end 71 of the lever69, and due to its weight, rotates said lever in a counter-clockwisedirection into the dotted line position thereof shown in Fig. 3.

In this position, the pawl tooth 73 is raised above the toothed ratchetracks 74 and 76, whereby the crank 66 may now be rotated to rotate theshaft 60. Such rotation of the shaft swings the lever supporting member67 in a counter-cloclnvise direction and carries the pawl tooth 7 overthe rack teeth 74. At the same time, the arm 61 operates the bellows todischarge a spray of perfume. Rotation of the shaft 60 must be continueduntil the pawl teeth 73 passes the right end of the rack 74;, since theteeth of said rack are inclined in a direction effective to engage thepawl tooth and prevent retractive movement thereof.

It will be noted that during the movement of the tooth 73 over the rack74, the end 71 of the lever is withdrawn from the chute 37, and the coinis freed to drop through the remainder of the chute 37 and into the coinreceptacle 7 5 provided therefor. The locking lever 69 having beenrelieved of the weight of the coin, the pawl tooth end thereof may dropon to the rack 7 4t to insure operative movement only of the shaft 60and to prevent retraction thereof. When the pawl tooth passes the rightend of the rack 74, it is free to drop into engagement with the lowerratchet rack 76, the teeth of which are inclined in the proper directionto prevent further operative rotation of the crank 66, the inclinationof the teeth being opposite to those of the rack 74. On release of thecrank handle, therefore, the spring 63 re turns the parts to theirinitial positions wherein the lever end 71 is reinserted into the chute37 the arm 61 is in contact with the upper part of the yoke 65, and thecrank is again in upright position, ready for the repetition of theoperation.

t will be understood that any attemptto operate the crank 66 when nocoin has been inserted into the machine, will permit rotation of theshaft 60 only to that small extent necessary to carry the pawl tooth 73into engagement with the teeth of the rack 76, when further movement isprevented. T he bellows therefore cannot be operated since the pin 61moves an insufficient distance to engage the wear plate 58. It is only,therefore, when the end 71 of the lever 69 has been depressed by theweight of a coin that the bellows can be operated and perfume dispensed.

It will further be seen that the left edge of the pawl tooth 73 willengage the teeth of the rack 74 after said tooth 73 has been raised bythe insertion of a coin into the chute whereby the user is compelled torotate the crank through a complete stroke to give him the full valuefor which he pays, since the teeth 7 l prevent the return of the partsto their initial positions after a partial stroke of the crank.

A suitable register as 80 may be provided for registering the number ofcoins deposited in the machine, by registering the number of completestrokes of the crank 66. Said register is provided with an operating arm81 which is inturn connected by the link 82 to the arm 83 on the shaft60, whereby operation of the shaft operates the arm 81 of the registerto record the stroke of the crank.

It will be seen that I have provided simple and eflicient means forinsuring the return of a coin to the purchaser when the amount ofvendable material falls below a predetermined limit; that I have furtherprovided means for insuring a full stroke of the ma chine and thedelivery of a predetermined quantity of material for each coindeposited; and that I have provided a coin-controlled machine welladapted to meet the severe requirements of practical use.

lVhile I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of myinvention, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit myselfthereto, but desire to claim my invention as broadly as ma 7 bepermitted by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a coin-receiving chutebifurcated to provide a coin-return chute and a coin-retaining chute, ashutter in the coin-receiving chute above the other chutes, said shutterbeing normally arranged out of the path of the coin to permit the cointo enter the coin-retaining chute, and means for operating the shutterto direct a coin into the coin-return chute when substantially (ll ofthe vendable material has been dispensed, comprising a spring-pressedsupport'ng member for the material, adapted to move upwardly as thematerial is dis pensed, and means for operatively connecting said memberto the shutter to swing said shutter to obstruct the coin-retainingchute.

2. In a coin-controlled vending machine, coin-diverting means, andspring-pressed means responsive to a decrease in the weight of vendablematerial in the machine for operating the coin-diverting means to returna coin deposited in the machine including a vertically movable platformnormally urged upwardly against the weight of said material, avertically movable rod movable to a predetermined extent independentlyof the platform and of the coin-diverting means, means carried by theplatform to move the rod, and means on the rod adapted to engage thecoin-diver ing means for moving the coindiverting means into divertingposition.

3. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a stationary coin chute havingan opening therein, movable means arranged adjacent the opening fordiverting and returning a coin deposited in said chute whensubstantially all of the vendable material has been dispensed, saidmeans changing the direction of movement of the coin but permittingcontinuous, uninterrupted movement thereof, and means responsive tochanges in the weight of said material for operating said coin divertingmeans.

i. In a coin-controlled vendin machine, a vertically movable support forvendable material, a spring urging the support upwardly against theweight of the material, and means operatively connected to said supportand pivotally mounted independently thereof for diverting a coindeposited in the machine to return the coin when the weight of thematerial on the support has decreasedpast a predetermined limitcomprising a normally inoperative shutter plate, a rod mounted forvertical movement independently of the plate and of the support for apredetermined distance, means on the support for moving the rod onlywhen said weight has so decreased,

and means on the rod to move the plate.

5. In a coin-controlled vending machine, means for preventing operationof the machine by a coin when a predetermined part of the vendablematerial has been dispensed, comprising a coin chute, a movable supportfor the material, coin diverting means in the chute, and means foroperatively connecting the support and the coin diverting means,comprising a rod normally movable independently of the support and ofthe diverting means, means on the support for moving the rod when saidpart has been dispensed, and means on the rod for moving the coindiverting means.

6. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a stationary coin chute, meansfor preventing operation of the machine when the machine issubstantially empty of vendable material comprising a vertically movablesupport for said material, spring means for moving said support bodilyupwardly as the material is dispensed, means for diverting a moving coindeposited in the chute away from its operating posit-ion in the chutebut normally permitting movement of the coin toward its operatingposition when sufiicient vendable material remains in the machine, andmeans for o eratively connecting the support to the coin divertingmeans.

7. In a coin-controlled liquid perfume vending machine, meansautomatically responsive to a predetermined decrease in the weight ofthe vendable perfume for engaging and diverting a moving coin depositedin the machine away from its operative position including acoin-diverting shutter interposed in the path of the coin to change thedirection of its movement, and means operatively connected to theshutter but mounted inde-. pendently thereof and operated by said weightto move the shutter.

8. In a COl11COI1ilOllGCl vending machine, means for preventingoperation of the ma chine through the action of a coin when the machineis substantially empty of vendable material, comprising a support forthe material, springs urging said support upwardly against the weight ofthe material, a coin chute normally directing the coin into positionwherein the machine is rendered Oper able through the action of thecoin, means adapted to be interposed in the coin chute for diverting thecoin away from said position, and means operatively connecting thesupport to the coin diverting means for interposing said coin divertingmeans in the chute to divert the coin when the weight on the support isdecreased and the support is raised by the springs a sufficient amount.

9. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a movable support for vendablematerial, springs urging said support upwardly against the weight ofsaid material, a spring-pressed toggle joint carried by said support, arod movable by said joint in a direction opposite to the movement of thesupport, a coin chute, a coin-diverting member, and means on the rod formoving said member into coin-divertposition in the chute when thesupport has been raised by the springs a sufficient distance.

10. In coin-controlled vending machine, a platform for supportingvendable material, springs urging said platform upwardly against theweight of said material, a springpressed toggle joint including a pairof links pivoted together and carried by said plat form, a rod connectedto the pivot of said links and movable by the joint relatively to theplatform, an adjustable operating member on the rod, an indicia-carryingarm connected to the rod, a coin chute having an opening therein, ashutter adjacent the opening, a shaft supporting said shutter, and anarm on said shaft interposed in the path of the operating member andadapted to swing said shaft and said shutter through the opening andinto coin-diverting position in the chute when the platform has beenraised sufficiently by said springs.

11. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a spring-pressed support forvendable material normally maintained in its lowermost position by saidmaterial, a coin chute having an opening therein, a swingable shutterarranged adjacent the opening and adapted to be swung into the chute todivert a coin deposited in the chute, and means operatively connectingthe support to the shutter for swinging said shutter when the weight ofthe material has been sufficiently decreased, including a toggle joint.

12. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a support for vendablematerial, springs urging said support upwardly against the weight ofsaid material, coin-diverting means, and means operatively connectingthe support and the coin-diverting means including a toggle jointcarried by the support and operatively connected to the coin-divertingmeans.

13. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a spring-pressed support forvendable mateterial, said support being movable when the weight of saidmaterial is changed, and normally inoperative coin return meansresponsive to the movement of the support under a decrease in the weightof said material and operatively connected to said support, including astationary return chute, a stationary coin-receiving chute shaped tonormally prevent entrance of the coin into the return chute, and acoin-diverting member arranged to enter the receiving chute to directthe coin dropped into the receiving chute into the return chute withoutinterruption of the movement of the coin when the weight of saidmaterial reaches a predetermined minimum.

i l. In a machine for dispensing liquid perfume, a movable support forthe perfume, means for raising the support as the perfume is dispensedand the weight thereof decreased, a stationary coin-receiving chutebifurcated at its lower portion and having an opening above thebifurcation, a shutter pivoted on the opening, and means forautomatically swinging the shutter to obstruct one of the bifurcationsof the chute and to divert the coin dropped into the chute into theother bifurcation when the weight of the perfume has decreased to apredetermined limit including a member normally movable relatively tothe chute and to the shutter, and means on the member adapted to engageand move the shutter at a predetermined point in the movement of themember.

15. In a machine for dispensing liquid perfume, a stationary coin chutebifurcated at its lower part, and means for automatically diverting acoin from one of the bifurcations to the other when the machine issubstantially empty of perfume, comprising a support for the perfumemounted for upward bodily movement as the weight of the perfumedecreases, a shutter in the chute above the bifurcation and meansinterposed between the support and the shutter for suddenly andautomatically swinging the shutter int o diverting position when thesupport reaches a predetermined point in its upward path.

16. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a support for vendablematerial, means for moving the support upwardly and bodily in a verticalpath as the weight of the material thereon decreases, a stationary coinchute, a coin-diverting member, and means movable relatively to thesupport and the member and adapted to move into operative engagementwith the member to swing the member into coin-diverting position whenthe support passes a predetermined point in its upward movement.

SALVATORE SCHIANO.

